Carriage-pole



(No Model.)

F. J. SPRINGER.-

CARRIAGE POLE.

Patented Mar. 9; 1886.

de Make.

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thill-irons B B.

UNTTED STATES ATENT @TTTQEJ FREDERICK J. SPRINGER, OF E DIVARDSVILLE, ILLINOIS.

CARRIAGE-POLE.

S SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,453, dated March 9, 1886.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FREDERICK J. SPRING- ER, of Edwardsville, Illinois, have made a new and useful Improvement in OarriagePoles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The improvement has reference to the construction of the rear portion of the pole. By means of it the construction is both strengthened and cheapened. It is especially valuable, however, in that thereby the pole is made adaptable to carriages having the axle-irons variously spaced apart.

The annexed drawings, making part of this specification, exhibit the improved part carriage-pole.

Figure l is aview in perspective of the pole. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rearportion of the pole. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the rear portion of the pole, and Fig. lisa bottom view of one of the thill-irons.

The same letters of reference denote thesame parts.

A, Fig. 1, represents a carriage-pole having the various features of the improvement, and, saving as modified by the improvement, the pole is of the customary form. Its main part a may be a single piece or it may be composite. If asin'gle piece, it is at the rear end of the main part a divided to form the forks a a, which extend from the main portion abackward to take the place of the customary cross bar or pole-circle, as it is sometimes called, and at their rear ends are furnished with the If composite, the two parts composing the main part a are at the rear end thereof separated to form the forks a a.

I preferably make the parts a a a of a single piece, and divide it to form the forks, sub stantially as shown. In either case the forks can be sprung toward and from each other, as indicated by the full and dot-ted lines in Fig. 3, from which feature this advantage acc It is desirable to be able to use a carriagepole with different carriages, but owing to th fact that carriages of different makers have the axle-irons, to which the thill-irons are attached, variously spaced apart, some wider apart and others nearer together upon the axle, the adaptability of the carriage-pole as hitherto constructed is curtailed; but by adapting and from each other, as described, the pole, by suitably opening the forks apart or closing them toward each other, as may be required, can be adapted to be used upon carriages having the axle-irons differently spaced apart, and the usefulness of the pole thereby increased.

To render the pole still more useful the thillirons B B are pivoted at 12 to the forks a a, so that the thill-irons can be turned laterally upon the forks, and thereby be presented squarely to the axle-irons,however the forks a a may be relatively adjusted. In this connection provision may be made for fastening the thill-irons after being adjusted. To this the forks a a to be sprung or turned toward end the thill iron may be slotted at b, and, by

means of a clamping-bolt passed through the slot and fork, the thill-iron can, within a limited degree, be clamped at any desired angle with the fork. The forks a a preferably curve downward below the main part a, substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. WVhere the double-tree (not shown) is attached at a, or in that vicinity, provision is made for preventing the main part a from splitting, or when the main part is composite from separating. The preferable means therefor are the two plates 0 C. These plates are adapted to fit the upper and lower port-ions, respectively, of the part a, where the double-tree (not shown) is attached. Theplates are perforated at c to receive the double-tree bolt. Aprominent object, however, ofthe plates is to clamp the part a, and thereby prevent it from splitting. The bottom plate, O, is also utilized for holding one end of the tie-rods or braces D D, which extend from the thill-irons, respectively, and connect with the main part a of the pole, and preferably by attaching them to the ears 0 0 upon the plate C. These rods serve to strengthen the pole, and are also useful in adj nsting the forks a a, the rods being threaded to enable the nuts (I d to be adjusted upon them, and the rods thereby lengthened or shortened, as may be desired, and by lengthening and shortening the rods the forks can be sprung toward and from each other. The rods D, at their rear end, may connect with the clamping-bolt, which is used to connect the thill-iron to the fork. The swiveled rod E may also be used to tie, brace, and stay the bly clamped upon the part a by bolts 0".

1. A carriage-pole forked at its rear end, the forks being extensions of the main portion of the pole and curving downward therefrom, and being laterally elastic, and provided with tie-rods or braces connecting" each fork end with the main portion of the pole, and thillirons B, pivoted at b and slotted at b, all com biued and operating substantially as described. 2. A carriage-pole forked at its rear end and provided with an upper and under plate to prevent splitting, the fork-extensions of the main portion of the pole integral therewith and curving downward, and being laterally elastic and connected together by a tie-rod, and connected to the main portion of the pole by tie-rods or braces,al1 substantially as shown and described.

FREDERICK J. SPRINGER. W itnesses:

VVILLIAM F. SPRINGER, R. F. TUNNELL. l 

